Saskatoon approved permit for MAGA musician's upcoming concert, city solicitor confirms
Mayor says she's 'deeply concerned' about performance, but show will go on pending police review
A MAGA-affiliated Christian musician received a permit from the City of Saskatoon to perform in a local park, the city solicitor confirmed Wednesday.
Sean Feucht, a MAGA-affiliated Christian musician, has faced cancellations from multiple venues across Canada in recent weeks due to his controversial views. Feucht is a right-wing advocate and has spoken out against the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The 41-year-old's website and social media are littered with stances against abortion, critical race theory and the queer community.
Communities in Nova Scotia, P.E.I., New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba have already denied or revoked concert permits for the performer's Revive in '25 Tour.
Feucht is scheduled to perform in Saskatoon's Diefenbaker Park on Aug. 21. City solicitor Cindy Yelland confirmed during Wednesday's city council meeting that the city approved the concert permit.
"There are no public safety concerns that would require the event to be cancelled," Yelland said.
"The situation may change as we get closer to the event. To be clear, allowing an event to occur in public space does not mean the city is endorsing any event, or any message of the event organizers."
From there, councillors confirmed that any cancellation of the event on the grounds of public safety would be in the hands of the police.
Mayor Cynthia Block appeared on CBC's Saskatoon Morning on Wednesday morning, before the council meeting. She acknowledged that the planned concert is sparking tension.
"I'm deeply concerned about the safety issues of this artist coming to our city," Block said.
"I've received many phone calls, many emails, and have been in discussions with the chief of police. They are doing their due diligence to make sure that they are following all of the correct legislation to protect freedom of speech, but understanding foundationally that this is a safety issue. It is a physical safety issue, and I am personally worried."
Block said she asked the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) to work quickly on that due diligence, "because it's making, I think, our whole community feel very tense about what's coming here."
After Block's interview, the SPS provided CBC with a statement.
"The SPS is aware of this event, and as we do with many special events, are working with event organizers to ensure public safety. At this time, we're not aware of any immediate safety concerns."
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